June 02, 2009

Care about Solar? Pick up the Phone ASAP!!

Thank you to our Friends at Connecticut Fund for the Environment, who say that YOU...the readers and supporters of CT GreenScene are making a difference!

"On behalf of Connecticut Fund for the Environment, thank you
for your testimony and calls of support throughout the legislative session!
Your enthusiasm has been a tremendous help.

Now we need one last big push to get these key bills through
the Senate. Please call your senators immediately to make sure these bills make
it to the floor before the end of session tomorrow."

Growing Solar Power

Our allies have been working hard on
this bill, and it’s paid off! HB 6635, An Act Concerning Solar Power,
passed the House unanimously yesterday. Let’s get it through the Senate
and get started—the bill will create at least 30 megawatts worth of new
residential solar, encourage large-scale commercial solar projects, and create
a new financing model for renewable energy credits.

This legislation has been through
many iterations, but we’re excited about the final result—a bill
that will streamline the process of adopting new efficiency standards for
appliances sold in Connecticut .
HB 6508 directs the Office of Policy and Management to work with other states
on an ongoing basis to identify cost-effective energy standards for new
products and adopt them within six months unless an objection is found.
It’s a win-win: this bill will save money for consumers and time for the
state government and has the potential to cut greenhouse gas emissions by
hundreds of thousands of tons over the next decade.

Call the Senate Democrats switchboard at
800-842-1420 and ask for the offices of Majority Leader Martin Looney and
Energy & Technology Co-Chair John Fonfara. Encourage them to bring these
bills to the Senate floor for a vote as soon as possible. Then call your own
senators (find them at http://www.cga.ct.gov/asp/menu/CGAFindLeg.asp)
to ask for their support. Urge them to ask Senators Looney and Fonfara to bring
HB 6508 and HB 6635 to the floor.